Speaking on 17 November, Nepal's Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli vowed to remove foreign troops from the country's territory in the event of any encroachment. Oli added that his government was more than capable of defending the country’s territory and that he would not allow a foreign country to take it over.
“We will not let even a single inch of our land encroached on, neither do we need the land of others…I request our neighbour to recall its troops from there (Kalapani),” Prime Minister Oli said while addressing the first meeting of the National Youth Association in Kathmandu.
Oli's statement comes after a new Indian map showed the region of Kalapani within India, leading to protests across Nepal. Kalapani, a 35-square kilometre area claimed by both India and Nepal, has been embroiled in controversy since the Nepal Parliament ratified the Mahakali Treaty with India in 1996.
“The borderland was not encroached on today, but we have achieved national unity over this issue now… The government is capable enough to safeguard the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Oli assured the nation.
Nepal claimed that Indian border forces have been in illegal occupation of the Nepal territory Kalapani since the 1962 India-China War.
The Indian foreign ministry said that the map accurately depicts the sovereign territory of India, but noted that a third party (most likely China) could be attempting to stir up trouble in the area.
“I think it is very important to note that, both sides (India and Nepal) should guard against vested interests who are out there to create some differences between the two countries,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on 8 November.
Meanwhile, China expressed hope that Nepal and India will resolve their territorial dispute through negotiations.